Airlines demand suspension of EES border system following rollout disruptions

European airlines are demanding the suspension of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) border technology following its chaotic rollout on April 10, 2026, with industry leaders citing queues up to three hours that stranded passengers and caused missed flights at major hubs like Milan Linate and Swiss airports.uz.kursiv.mediawww.visahq.comwww.visahq.com Groups such as Airlines for Europe (A4E) and ACI EUROPE described the issues as a "systemic failure" rather than mere teething problems, urging the European Commission to pause the biometric system designed to track non-EU travelers via passports, facial scans, and fingerprints.

The disruptions have hit hard, with budget carrier EasyJet reporting that only 34 of 156 passengers boarded a flight from Milan to Manchester due to border delays, forcing others to reroute at costs exceeding £1,600 and arrive a day late. In Switzerland, Zurich, Geneva, and Basel-Mulhouse airports faced three-hour lines over the April 13-14 weekend, straining connections for airlines like Swiss International Air Lines, EasyJet, Emirates, and United, while economies like Zurich incur CHF 1.3 million per hour of delays from missed slots and compensation. A4E emphasized that airlines are powerless against these external bottlenecks despite efforts to maintain schedules.

Airlines and airports are now pushing for activation of EU rules allowing member states and Schengen partners like Switzerland to suspend EES for 90 days in exceptional cases, extendable by 180 days total if queues exceed limits, as outlined in a joint open letter from A4E and ACI EUROPE. While eu-LISA manages the system to enhance security and combat overstays, calls grow for an "emergency off-switch" ahead of peak Easter and late-April holiday traffic to avert further chaos.